Top 20 NFL players with the highest guaranteed money feat. Deshaun Watson, Justin Jefferson, and more

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been signed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension, with $110 million guaranteed by the Minnesota Vikings. NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero were the first to report the news on Monday, shortly before the star receiver took to Instagram to confirm that he had signed the contract he had dreamed of since childhood.

Jefferson has now broken the previous mark for offensive players who aren't quarterbacks with his enormous agreement. The wide receiver market has also been automatically reset with the agreement.

Jefferson's $35 million average salary year surpasses the $32 million average salary inked by AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the offseason. Additionally, that sum paves the way for extensions for CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys and Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Considering that Jefferson's new contract would guarantee him $110 million over four years, let's examine the three-time Pro Bowler's standing among players in the league with the biggest guarantees.

NFL players with the most guaranteed money in their contracts

It is occasionally possible to guarantee a set percentage of an NFL player's base pay for specific seasons. This implies that the player receives that compensation whether they remain a member of the squad.

Few NFL players have had contracts that are completely guaranteed up until this point.

Deshaun Watson, 28, inked a five-year, $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns before the 2022 season, which includes an unusual clause. Being completely guaranteed made it the most profitable in league history. This implies that the former Houston Texans quarterback will still get paid even if he is hurt or performs below par.

Nobody has since surpassed Watson's $230 million fully guaranteed contract; however, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals got very close when he inked a $275 million, 5-year agreement that includes $219.01 million guaranteed before the 2023 season.

The top 20 players in the league in terms of guaranteed income according to Spotrac are listed below:

1) Quarterback Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns), $230 million

2) Quarterback Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), $219.01 million

3) Quarterback Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), $218.7 million

4) Quarterback Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), $185 million

5) Quarterback Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles), $179.39 million

6) Quarterback Jared Goff (Detroit Lions), $170.6 million

7) Quarterback Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), $159 million

8) Quarterback Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), $150 million

9) Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), $141.4 million

10) Quarterback Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams), $130 million

11) Quarterback Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), $126 million

12) Defensive end Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers), $122.5 million

13) Wide receiver Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), $110 million

14) Quarterback Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons), $100 million

15) Quarterback Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints), $100 million

16) Defensive end Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns), $100 million

17) Defensive tackle Chris Jones (Kansas City Chiefs), $95 million

18) Quarterback Daniel Jones (New York Giants), $92 million

19) Offensive linebacker Josh Allen (Jacksonville Jaguars), $88 million

20) Offensive linebacker Brian Burns (New York Giants), $87.5 million